ANDIJAN — 2005 · Suspicious Death
The Andijan Massacre
During the trial in Andijan of 23 businessmen accused of extremism, armed men stormed the prison on the night of 12-13 May 2005, freeing the defendants and hundreds of other inmates, and then seized the regional administration building. On 13 May thousands of people gathered in Babur Square to protest against poverty and corruption. In the evening government troops opened fire on the crowd without warning. Official statements kept the death toll low, while witnesses and human rights groups reported that hundreds had died. Thousands fled towards the Kyrgyz border. The government rejected calls for an international inquiry, and in October 2005 the EU imposed an arms embargo and visa sanctions.
- Date
- 2005
- Place
- Babur Square, Uzbekistan, Andijan, UZ
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 40.7821, 72.3442 ↗
Timeline of Events
- June 2004Twenty-three businessmen were arrested on extremism charges.
- 12-13 May 2005Armed men stormed the prison and freed inmates.
- 13 May 2005Troops opened fire on the crowd in Babur Square.
- May 2005Thousands fled towards the Kyrgyz border.
- October 2005The EU imposed an arms embargo and visa sanctions.
Sources
- BBC News — How the Andijan killings unfolded news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- RFE/RL — Uzbekistan: Bloody Friday in the Ferghana Valley rferl.org ↗
- Human Rights Watch — 'Bullets Were Falling Like Rain' (2005) hrw.org ↗
- BBC News
- RFE/RL
- Human Rights Watch
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.